LIVE AT WEMBLEY '86

The monumental and brief performance at the Live Aid in 1985, of a Queen submerged at that time in a deep internal crisis that sowed doubts about their continuity, brought them back to life and revitalized their career in such a way that less than a year later they released "A Kind of Magic" with a promotional tour (called "Magic Tour") included. There were 26 shows in Europe exclusively (they were banned in North America mainly because of the satirical and misunderstood video of the single "I Want to Break Free"). Of that tour, the presentations of July 11/12, 1986 in the mythical London stadium Wembley were collected by the double album "Live at Wembley '86" (1992). A work that repairs, six years after the publication of the failed and stunted "Live Magic" of 1986, and ends up being a posthumous tribute to Freddie Mercury in one of the last live performances of Queen.

More than 140,000 people over the two days packed the venue, guided and surrendered to Mercury's swagger in a setlist that included the band's worldwide mega-hits such as "Under Pressure", "Another One Bites The Dust", "I Want To Break Free", "Crazy Little Thing Called Love" and "Bohemian Rapsody", songs from the album that motivated the tour such as the homonymous "A Kind of Magic" followed by the legendary vocal game of the singer replicated by the audience, memories of the early days with "Seven Seas of Rhye" and the chorable "In the Lap of the Gods", the hard rock of "Tie Your Mother Down", "Now I'm Here" and "Hammer to Fall", the emotional moment with "Love Of My Life" and "Is This The World We Created? " linked with the late 50's rock and roll tribute of "(You're So Square) Baby I Don't Care", "Hello Mary Lou Goodbye Heart" and "Tutti Frutti", and a final full steam ahead segment with the stadium rock mobilizer that the band handled so well: the energized "Radio Gaga" and the unbeatable duet "We Will Rock and "We Are the Champions".

The infallible and pre-recorded English hymn "God Save the Queen", the last song of the setlist, was the backdrop for the farewell of Queen and a Mercury dressed in a cape and crown emulating the Queen of England, perhaps the most memorable image of one of the best frontman in the history of rock.

3.5/4 stars

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